Tell Me What?
by Natalie Elizabeth
Summary: Spoiler Alert. If you haven't seen the sneak peaks for 5X03 Secrets safe with me, and don't want to know about the ep do not read. What do Castle and Martha want to tell Alexis?


**Major spoilers alert. If you haven't seen the sneak peaks for ep 5x03 **_**Secrets safe with me**_**. And you don't want to know anything about the ep until it airs. Stop reading now. I don't spoil it majorly but it does focus one of the scenes.**

**You were warned.**

**Author note: In my haste to get this up before the show aired. This has not been Beta. However I have been using a Beta recently and I'd like to think I have picked up some tips. Hopefully this isn't to bad. : ) **

_Tell me what?_

_By_

_Natalie Elizabeth_

"Tell me what?"

Alexis looked at her father and grandmother and wondered why they looked so shocked. The pair had been talking when she had come in to get some cleaning spray for something disgusting she had found under her bed. She hadn't really been paying attention to their mumblings. Dad was probably telling Grams how many people he had already got Detective Beckett to do a back ground check on. Teachers, students, gardeners. Then again it didn't sound like something Detective Beckett would do, maybe Detective Ryan.

As much as her feelings were still up in the air in regards to the way Detective Beckett treated her father, Alexis knew the woman had been her advocate on more than one occasion. When her father and grandmother had been held hostage in the bank detective Beckett had promised her they would be ok. Watching from the sidelines Alexis had seen her do all she could in order to save them. Including going undercover as paramedic. Alexis had never really thanked her for that.

Alexis wondered if Detective Beckett had anything to do with the changes in her father recently. Since coming back from her trip to Europe with her grandmother, Alexis had noticed her father seemed happier. It had confused her at first; he had seemed so upset about her going off to college. Pound but sad. There was still an element of that there whenever college got brought up, but he was different though. When she had left the loft a few hours before graduation, her father had seemed despondent. He had tried to pass it off as proud father sad because his baby is growing up. Alexis knew better. She had asked if it was the case he was working on. He sometimes got to emotionally involved. Her father had given her a weak smile and told her things were going to be different from now on. She hadn't expected his weird behaviour when she had come home hung over the next day. He was no longer sad but edgy and giddy. He had been oddly happy since then, with no explanation. He often used humour as a defensive mechanism, maybe that's what he was doing now, to cover up his sadness over her leaving.

Alexis eyes switched between her father and grandmother. None of them were speaking, still looking at her shocked. What did they want to tell her?

"So," she asked coming around the counter.

Neither person spoke. Hearing a knock at the door Alexis gave her father the bottle in her hand before walking over to answer the door. Maybe whoever was there, was capable of stringing together a more intelligent conversation. Opening the door Alexis frowned as she saw what she assumed was a person holding a large pile of folded cardboard. The pile was so high Alexis wondered how they were even able to walk to the door without seeing. That and how on earth did they knock on the door. When the cardboard on the top started to slip Alexis moved forward.

"Here let me help you," Alexis said grabbing the slipping cardboard and a few pieces underneath it so she could see who was behind the wall.

"Thanks Alexis."

Alexis looked at the woman before her, shocked! "Detective Beckett. Hi. What are you doing here."

"You can call me Kate," she said almost nervously. She then held up the cardboard in her hands. "Your dad told me you were packing up your room for college and I remembered I still had a few boxes I hadn't unpacked. I figured I've been living in my place for quite some time now, it's about time I unpacked all my stuff. I thought you might need some boxes."

Alexis looked at the cardboard in her hands. She realised now that they were in fact boxes that had been folded down.

"Umm thanks."

She was running out of boxes. Not everything was going to college but she was packing up alot of her stuff. Her room would still be there when she came home for a visit. her father wasn't turning it into a man cave or anything. It was simply about time she cleaned out her room and got rid of a lot of the junk. She would pack up the things she wanted to keep but didn't want to bring to college and leave the bare basics in her room to gather dust.

"I did need boxes," she told the woman standing in front of her.

Kate smiled. "I thought I could also lend a hand. I have the day off."

Alexis tried to look appreciative. It was Kate's day off and she was offering to help pack for college. When someone offers help you are meant to take it and say thank you. It was just weird though. A stranger going through your things. Not that Kate was a stranger but still.

"Not help pack your things away or anything, unless of course you wanted me to. I thought I could keep your dad distracted so he doesn't start playing with all your toys or reminiscing."

Alexis smiled. An hour had been wasted while her father had gone over a photo album. That was only from her first year, there were still 17 more to go over. Alexis stood back and allowed the detective to enter. Anything to keep her father out of the way.

"Dad, look who has offered to be a distraction for you so I can finish packing."

Alexis was confused when her father's mouth gaped open and then he stated fumbling for words. Her grandmother seemed to be smiling a little to much also. What was going on with these two. Had they sniffed to much cleaner?

" I brought some boxes over, Castle," the detective told him sternly as she walked over to him. "I thought we could hang out to keep you out of Alexis hair. You know watch tv, talk."

"Oh."

Alexis shook her head as she walked past her father finally understanding his dumbfounded look. "Keep your thoughts PG rated dad. Kate does have a gun remember."

Castle smiled at Beckett before taking the boxes off of her.

"Here let me take those. I'll just put them in Alexis's room."

Beckett nodded as she was relieved of her items. She watched as he followed his daughter marvelling how well his pants cupped his butt. When he suddenly turned before leaving the room Kate quickly averted her eyes. She didn't need him gloating about catching her.

"Mother play nice,"

Kate frowned at his words. Why would he be telling his mother to play nice. Martha had always been nice and courteous to her. When Castle left the room Kate turned to look at Martha who was smiling at her mischievously.

"Coffee?" The older woman asked.

Kate nodded and followed Martha into the kitchen. As Martha turned the machine on and started dealing with the filter, Kate reached into the cupboard and got out the cups Castle liked to use. Placing them next to the machine she reached into a draw and grabbed out spoons.

"So you spent a lot of time here while we were away I am assuming."

Kate's eyes widened as she looked up at Martha. Oh crap. She had been so used to making coffee here she hadn't even thought getting out the cups and spoons.

" ummm."

Martha waved her hand as if to say don't bother with an explanation.

"Before you leave through you might want to make an excuse to go into my room. Borrow or jacket or something." The older woman told her. "When the laundry came back there was a pair of underwear in my things that is defiantly not mine or Alexis's. I was going to give them back to Richard but he would probably keep them and use them as a handkerchief or something like that."

Kate's mouth dropped open. Oh My GOD! Castles mother had a pair of her underwear in her room. Was it possible to die of embarrassment?

"So what are you two ladies talking about," Castle asked as he breezed into the kitchen.

Kate turned to look at Castle her mouth opening and closing like a gold fish. Castle eyes darkened.

"Mother, what did you say?"

Martha looked at her son innocently. "I just told Kate that a pair of her undergarments got mixed up with my clean laundry."

Castle raised his eye brows and then looked at Kate surprised. "How do you not realise you don't have underwear on when you leave?"

"Castle," Beckett admonished him.

"Unless you left them here when you stayed that weekend." The writer informed her.

Beckett lightly slapped him on the arm. "You told her. I thought you said we were going to tell them together."

Castle rubbed his arm where Beckett had slapped him. "I didn't tell her, she just knew."

"Oh," Beckett said frowning. She then turned to look at Martha.

"I always knew when Richard was reading under the covers with a torch when he should have been asleep." The red head told her.

"Since when?" Castle asked shocked.

Martha just waved him off much like she had done to Beckett only moments ago. "Congratulations. It's about time, the sexual tension was really getting to much."

Kate dipped her head not quite sure where to look. Castle covered his face with his hand. He then turned to see if Beckett was going to shoot him or his mother but she looked just as embarrassed as he was. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss to her head.

"I am so sorry about this." He told her.

Beckett shook her head and smiled. "Its fine."

"The point is, I know," she told the pair. "but you might want to tell Alexis in case she makes a surprise visit home and gets a surprise of her own."

Castle looked at Beckett; they never really set the rules on who was going to know about them. Did her father know?

Castle breathed in deep. "What do you think Beckett should we tell her?"

Beckett shrugged at him. "If you remember I wasn't the one who wanted to keep it a secret from them in the first place."

Castle tilted his head side to side. "I know it's just she's my little girl. I just want her to be ready when I tell her."

"Tell me what?" Alexis asked coming into the kitchen.

Castle and Beckett turned to look at Alexis.

Alexis rolled her eyes as she started at the two shocked adults. "What? Have I grown three heads or something?"

Castle cleared his throat and looked down at Beckett who nodded at him.

"Well Alexis, while you have been in Europe with your grandmother. Kate has been here, distracting me."

Beckett's mouth dropped open in horror. She then elbowed Castle hard in the ribs, before rolling her eyes at the man.

"What it was straight to the point."

Beckett shook her head and took a step towards her boyfriend's daughter who was looking very confused.

"What your moronic father is trying to say is." Beckett stopped. How did she put this. Definitely not distracting, that's for sure. She would tell him off later for even suggesting she was just a distraction. She knew she wasn't, but still he would be punished. How did one tell your boyfriends daughter that you were together. What exactly did together mean. Dating sounded a bit juvenile but she supposed it was better than saying bumping uglies.

"You father and I are dating." The words came out at super speed and Beckett wasn't sure if Alexis had understood her, as the young woman remained silent.

Alexis stared at her briefly before averting her gaze to look up and over Kate's shoulder.

"Is this true, Dad?"

Beckett felt Castle come up behind her and then felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. He gave it a tight squeeze.

"Yes pumpkin it is."

Beckett brought her hand up and covered Castles on her arm. She wanted to show Alexis that they were in it together. Alexis eyes seemed to focused on her hand over Castles before looking up at her.

"You really are dating my dad. This isn't some undercover thing?"

Beckett shook her head. "No it's not." Beckett then took a deep breath and looked up at Castle. He gave her a reassuring smile, it would all be ok. Beckett looked back to address Alexis. "I love him."

Alexis seemed shocked by this admission; Beckett also noticed the arm around her tightened. She had never said the words to Castle before now. It wasn't as if she didn't feel that way for him, she did and had for along time. She was just waiting for the right time to tell him. In front of his mother and daughter wasn't the most romantic time, but she knew he wouldn't care about that. It was hard for her to share her feelings and he knew that. Being open in front of his family was part of this new change she was going through to becoming a better person.

Alexis looked at the grinning fools standing before her. If she didn't know better she would assume the pair was posing for a photo, and what a picture they made. Standing close together her father's arm around Kate's shoulders and Kate not ripping it off. Alexis was reluctant to admit that they looked good together. Real good. Another thing that looked good was the smile on her father's face. He was happy real; happy. Kate looked happy to. Gone was the fear in her eyes that sometimes plagued the detective. Now that Alexis looked closer she realised Kate Beckett was almost unrecognizable. There was a light in her eyes that Alexis had never seen before. The truth was they were good for each other.

"I am happy for you." And she really was. Alexis watched as Kate let out a sigh and seemed to relax. The woman was worried about what she was going to say. None of her father's other girlfriends had seemed to care unless Alexis made them look bad.

"Right, who wants a coffee?"

Alexis nodded, glad for her grandmother's interruption.

"Why don't we all take a break?" Castle announced. "Give us a chance to sit and talk. Alexis why don't you and Kate go sit on the lounge. Mother and I will bring the coffee over."

Alexis tried not to glare at her father. He was trying to get her to play nice with his new girlfriend but throwing her in the deep end was not the way to do it. Alexis looked over at Kate who seemed just as hesitant at the idea. Well at least that was something. Kate wasn't going to try and be her BFF. Walking over to the lounge Alexis took a seat watching as Kate did the same. Kate kept looking at her expectantly so Alexis decided to break the ice.

"So I guess I feel a little bit better knowing you will be here to keep Dad and Gram in line while I am gone," Alexis told Kate.

Kate shrugged. "Yeah I guess, buts not like I am moving in or anything."

Alexis nodded. She did wonder about that. If she would move out and Kate would move it. It might not be happening that quickly but it would happen soon enough if Dad got his way.

"But you will take care of him right?" Alexis asked Kate. "Make sure he doesn't write all night and forget to eat. Keep him safe. Stop him doing anything stupid."

Kate laughed. "Does anyone have the power to stop him doing stupid things?"

Alexis smiled, Kate did have a point.

"You have my number right."

Alexis nodded at Kate's question.

Kate smiled. "Good. If you ever want to surprise your dad or pull a prank on him, just call me and I'll make some excuse to leave."

Alexis raised a brow.

"No wait, that doesn't sound right," Kate told her shaking her head. "What I meant to say is that if you ever want daddy daughter time; please don't be afraid to ask. I don't want you to think I am taking him away from you. The two of you have a special bond and I think it's wonderful, I don't want you to lose that."

Alexis smiled slightly. Kate wasn't implying she didn't want to spend time with her father while she was there. She was just willing to give them space.

"And if you ever need a hand pulling a prank on your father, I am more than happy to help."

This had Alexis breaking out in a huge grin. Gina had never understood their desire to prank each other. Not only would she not agree to help but would yell and storm off if she witnessed one. Kate was offering to help, to be a part of it.

"Deal." Alexis told the woman holding out her hand. It was a peace offering. Kate was willing to respect her relationship with her father, so it was only right Alexis did the same.

"What are you ladies shaking on," Castle asked as he walked over to the two woman handing them each a coffee.

"Nothing for you to worry about Castle," Kate told him taking her coffee and taking a quick sip. "Right Alexis."

Alexis started in shock as Kate sent her a wink. Kate was playing with her father. Making him think they were up to something. This was the best prank ever. Making him paranoid that they were doing something, when they weren't.

"What are you two planning," he asked both of them.

"Nothing." Alexis told him innocently.

"Yeah Castle," Kate told him shrugging. "Nothing major."

Castle eyes widened as he looked at the two woman.

Alexis smiled. Getting along with Kate might not be as hard as she thought.

The end.

**Authors Note: I sometimes get these little idea in my head that won't go away. So I figured, hey someone out there might enjoy reading it. Gets me writing and now its over I can move onto my other stories. Please tell me what you think.**

**Review!**


End file.
